Warriors Defeat Wizards, Remain On Record Path
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Stephen Curry knocked down six 3-pointers on the way to 26 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Wizards 102-94 on Tuesday night to stay on pace for the all-time wins record.
Klay Thompson followed back-to-back 40-point games with 16 as Golden State (67-7) stayed a game ahead of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' pace during their 72-10 season. The Warriors must go 6-2 over their final eight games for the record.
Draymond Green had 15 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists to just miss back-to-back triple-doubles in the Warriors' 54th straight regular-season home win and 36th consecutive this season.
Curry, who scored 51 points with a career-high and franchise record-tying 11 3s in the first meeting Feb. 3, shot 9 for 20 overall and 6 of 8 from long range. He added seven rebounds and seven assists.
Curry (356) and Thompson (255) already had the most combined 3-pointers by a pair of teammates in a season. Reigning MVP Curry, the first player in NBA history with 300 3s in a season, has eight games left to chase 400. Thompson is aiming to top Curry's previous record of 286 3s.
Washington was content to keep pace on both ends with the Warriors and took advantage of Golden State's sloppy execution on the offensive end. Curry missed an open layup after going around Marcin Gortat and Thompson was called for traveling driving to the basket soon after with his team down by nine.
But the Warriors finished the first half on a 12-0 run for a 49-46 lead at the break.
Craig Sager worked the game for Turner Sports, his outlook as bright as his attire even after announcing last week his leukemia is no longer in remission.
"I think my demise has been prematurely reported," Sager said. "I think I'm going to kick this and make medical history and I really believe that."
The 64-year-old Sager is set to work Thursday in Houston, where he receives his chemotherapy treatments -- eight days of chemo starting the final week of the regular season and into the first week of the playoffs.
Sager said there's "no doubt about it" that he'll work through the playoffs. He hopes to be assigned to San Antonio in the first round so he can go back and forth to Houston.
He was taking a redeye flight there after Tuesday's game with a doctor's appointment Wednesday morning.
During shootaround, Golden State got a pep talk from 10-year-old motivational speaker Ezra Frech. He was born without a left knee or fibula and had his lower leg amputated at age 2. Quite a perimeter shooter, Frech also joined in practice.
"He's an unbelievable kid," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He's actually a motivational speaker at 10. I didn't know such a thing existed, but as soon as he started talking, I realized that this is no joke. This kid is amazing."
A fifth-grader from Los Angeles and on spring break traveling with his father, Clayton, Frech hoped to see Curry.
"If he comes out here, I'll challenge him," Frech said with a smile, before quickly adding, "I'll probably lose."
Warriors play in Utah on Wednesday.
